Patents by Inventor Howard Williams

Howard Williams has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20250130596
    Abstract: A system and method for tilt dead reckoning is provided. The system and method allows an autopilot of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to perform dead reckoning with a hovering vehicle during GNSS signal loss by estimating the position and velocity of the vehicle based on its pitch and roll angles and known vehicle dynamics. The position and velocity are estimated using tables set up by a UAV integration engineer that provide the expected airspeed at given pitch and roll angles in steady state. This allows the UAV to attempt to follow waypoints when GNSS signal is lost without using any additional sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2024
    Publication date: April 24, 2025
    Inventors: Tyler Desmond MELMOTH, Howard William LOEWEN
  • Publication number: 20240224149
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium for switching cells based on monitoring performance management messages. A network administration module can identify that a user equipment (UE) is associated with a first transceiver in a first cell area. The network administration module can determine that a first periodic message indicative of bandwidth availability within the first cell area has not been received for a threshold amount of time and that the first transceiver is incapable of providing connectivity to the UE. The network administration module can determine that the UE is within a second cell area and that a second transceiver associated with the second cell area is capable of providing connectivity to the UE and provide instructions to the UE to initiate a connection with the second transceiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Publication date: July 4, 2024
    Inventors: Samuel Jon Whitley, Ryan Richard Carey, Brian Howard Williams, Vineet Tyagi
  • Patent number: 11703885
    Abstract: A method for collecting information required for Bode plot creation of a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) autopilot system is provided. The method comprises: creating a Bode plot generation input signal: adding the Bode plot generation input signal to control inputs; collecting data from multiple points within the control system; calculating magnitude and phase at the multiple points using the data collected; recording the magnitude and phase for the multiple points in a datalog; comparing the magnitude and phase for the multiple points to calculate the gain and phase margins for open loop responses in the control system; creating a Bode plot for at least one of the following: i) a closed loop response of the attitude and/or rate loops, ii) an open loop response of the attitude and/or rate loops and iii) a response of the UAV; and outputting the Bode plot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: 4596286 Manitoba Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Andrew Playle, Maziar Mardan, Tyler Desmond Melmoth, Howard William Loewen
  • Publication number: 20230176590
    Abstract: A method for collecting information required for Bode plot creation of a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) autopilot system is provided. The method comprises: creating a Bode plot generation input signal: adding the Bode plot generation input signal to control inputs; collecting data from multiple points within the control system; calculating magnitude and phase at the multiple points using the data collected; recording the magnitude and phase for the multiple points in a datalog; comparing the magnitude and phase for the multiple points to calculate the gain and phase margins for open loop responses in the control system; creating a Bode plot for at least one of the following: i) a closed loop response of the attitude and/or rate loops, ii) an open loop response of the attitude and/or rate loops and iii) a response of the UAV; and outputting the Bode plot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Nicholas Andrew PLAYLE, Maziar MARDAN, Tyler Desmond MELMOTH, Howard William LOEWEN
  • Patent number: 11579672
    Abstract: The disclosed computing device may include electronic components, at least one of which is a processor. The computing device may also include a heat sink thermally coupled to the electronic components, as well as a temperature sensor that determines the current temperature inside the computing device. The computing device may further include a controller. The processor may generate a load schedule for the electronic components based on the current temperature inside the computing device. This load schedule ensures that a maximum temperature for the heat sink is not exceeded even when the total system power load exceeds, for a short period of time, the maximum sustainable power level the heat sink can dissipate. The controller may then load the electronic components according to the generated load schedule. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard William Winter, Chuankeat Kho, Peter John Richard Gilbert Bracewell
  • Publication number: 20230000175
    Abstract: A collar includes a leaf having a first edge and a second edge, a stand having a concavely curved inner edge, and a fold line adjoining the leaf to the stand. The fold line may be convexly curved between the first edge and the second edge, and the stand is formed as a mesh portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventor: Howard Williams
  • Publication number: 20220360896
    Abstract: In some examples, a conferencing system includes a modular electronic device having a device housing configured to removably couple to each of a plurality of speaker modules; amplifier circuitry disposed within the device housing, wherein the amplifier circuitry is configured to amplify audio signals for output to a speaker module of the plurality of speaker modules while the electronic device is coupled to the speaker module; and processing circuitry disposed within the device housing, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: determine one or more parameters associated with the speaker module after the device housing is coupled to the speaker module; and determine, based on the one or more parameters associated with the speaker module, a set of corresponding audio-configuration settings for processing audio during operation of the conferencing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Stephen Mark Jeapes, Howard William Winter
  • Publication number: 20220308597
    Abstract: A system and method for tilt dead reckoning is provided. The system and method allows an autopilot of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to perform dead reckoning with a hovering vehicle during GNSS signal loss by estimating the position and velocity of the vehicle based on its pitch and roll angles and known vehicle dynamics. The position and velocity are estimated using tables set up by a UAV integration engineer that provide the expected airspeed at given pitch and roll angles in steady state. This allows the UAV to attempt to follow waypoints when GNSS signal is lost without using any additional sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Tyler Desmond MELMOTH, Howard William LOEWEN
  • Publication number: 20220109822
    Abstract: The disclosed camera system may include a primary camera and a plurality of secondary cameras that each have a maximum horizontal FOV that is less than a maximum horizontal FOV of the primary camera. Two of the plurality of secondary cameras may be positioned such that their maximum horizontal FOVs overlap in an overlapped horizontal FOV and the overlapped horizontal FOV may be at least as large as a minimum horizontal FOV of the primary camera. The camera system may also include an image controller that simultaneously activates two or more of the primary camera and the plurality of secondary cameras when capturing images from a portion of an environment included within the overlapped horizontal FOV. Various other systems, devices, assemblies, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Inventors: Howard William Winter, Gabriel Molina, Stephen Mark Jeapes, Nan Jiang, Anthony Dodero, John Kramer, Honghong Peng, Jesse Tyler Walton, Andrea Colaco, Joseph Moak, Rex Crossen, Josiah Vincent Vivona
  • Patent number: 11199885
    Abstract: The disclosed computing device may include electronic components, at least one of which is a processor. The computing device may also include a heat sink thermally coupled to the electronic components, as well as a temperature sensor that determines the current temperature inside the computing device. The computing device may further include a controller. The processor may generate a load schedule for the electronic components based on the current temperature inside the computing device. This load schedule ensures that a maximum temperature for the heat sink is not exceeded even when the total system power load exceeds, for a short period of time, the maximum sustainable power level the heat sink can dissipate. The controller may then load the electronic components according to the generated load schedule. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard William Winter, ChuanKeat Kho, Peter John Richard Gilbert Bracewell
  • Patent number: 10965873
    Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (i) receiving, by a camera system that includes at least one camera, input from a user instructing the camera system to adjust a framing of the camera, (ii) directing, by the camera system, the camera to adjust the framing, (iii) determining a predicted modified camera frame that approximates an actual modified camera frame predicted to result from directing the camera to adjust the framing, (iv) displaying, before completely receiving visual data that results from the actual modified camera frame from the camera, the predicted modified camera frame to the user, (v) receiving the visual data including the actual modified camera frame from the camera after the camera adjusts the camera frame, and (vi) displaying the actual modified camera frame to the user. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Howard William Winter
  • Patent number: 10873496
    Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include encoding, by a first computing device, a control message by generating a sequence of network link statuses, monitoring, by a second computing device, the sequence of network link statuses, decoding, by the second computing device, the sequence of network link statuses, and remediating the second computing device based on the control message. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard William Winter, Peter John Richard Gilbert Bracewell, Michael Christopher Van der Westhuizen
  • Patent number: 10845854
    Abstract: The disclosed computing device may include electronic components, at least one of which is a processor. The computing device may also include a heat sink thermally coupled to the electronic components, as well as a temperature sensor that determines the current temperature inside the computing device. The computing device may further include a controller. The processor may generate a load schedule for the electronic components based on the current temperature inside the computing device. This load schedule ensures that a maximum temperature for the heat sink is not exceeded even when the total system power load exceeds, for a short period of time, the maximum sustainable power level the heat sink can dissipate. The controller may then load the electronic components according to the generated load schedule. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard William Winter, ChuanKeat Kho, Peter John Richard Gilbert Bracewell
  • Patent number: 10821464
    Abstract: A system for treating a surface and applying adhesive to an already treated portion of the surface concurrently is presented. The system comprises surface treatment equipment, adhesive application equipment, and a common feed system. The surface treatment equipment is configured to treat the surface of an elongated member. The adhesive application equipment is configured to apply adhesive to the already treated portion of the surface. The common feed system feeds the elongated member beneath the surface treatment equipment and the adhesive application equipment concurrently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Richard Allen Miller, II, Marcus Anthony Belcher, Stephen Howard Williams
  • Publication number: 20200283487
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fusion protein comprising: i) a solubility-enhancing moiety which is derived from the N-terminal (NT) fragment of a spider silk protein; and ii) a C-type lectin polypeptide. The present invention also provides a truncated SP-A polypeptide which lacks the N-terminal domain of full SP-A and is capable of trimerisation, and to the use of such a truncated SP-A polypeptide in treating or preventing a disease.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Applicants: University of Southampton, Spiber Technologies AB
    Inventors: Howard William Clark, Alastair Samuel Watson, Jens Madsen, Jan Johansson, Anna Rising, Nina Kronqvist, Kerstin Nordling
  • Patent number: 10717242
    Abstract: A compaction device for use with an automated fiber placement machine includes multiple compaction rollers mounted for independent displacement on a supporting frame. The attitude of the compaction rollers change relative to each other when fiber tows are laid up at an angle over an edge of a tool in order to maintain compaction pressure on the tows and thereby reduce non-compacted areas of the tows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Michael Robert Chapman, Robert M. Watson, Stephen Howard Williams
  • Publication number: 20200206319
    Abstract: Surfactant protein A (SP-A) is described for preventing and/or treating a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in a subject. The STI is caused by a DNA virus, such as Human papillomavirus (HPV) and/or Herpes simplex virus (HSV). SP-A can thus be used to prevent cervical cancer, genital warts and/or genital ulcers. Pharmaceutical compositions and kits comprising SP-A are also described, as is a method for preventing and/or treating STIs caused by DNA viruses, the method comprising administering an effective amount of SP-A to a subject in need thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Georgia Schäfer, William Gordon Charles Horsnell, Howard William Clark
  • Patent number: 10623701
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system that includes a computing device, a presentation system, and a hardware module disposed between the computing device and the presentation system. The hardware module and the computing device each may be configured to exchange a signal that includes media data and emulated input/output (“I/O”) data, audio/visual data (“A/V”); the hardware module may also be configured to supply power to the computing device. The signal and the supplied power may be communicated between the hardware module and the computing device over a single cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter John Richard Gilbert Bracewell, Howard William Winter, Oliver Pell
  • Patent number: 10566944
    Abstract: Layer structures for RF filters can be fabricated using rare earth oxides and epitaxial aluminum nitride, and methods for growing the layer structures. A layer structure can include an epitaxial crystalline rare earth oxide (REO) layer over a substrate, a first epitaxial electrode layer over the crystalline REO layer, and an epitaxial piezoelectric layer over the first epitaxial electrode layer. The layer structure can further include a second electrode layer over the epitaxial piezoelectric layer. The first electrode layer can include an epitaxial metal. The epitaxial metal can be single-crystal. The first electrode layer can include one or more of a rare earth pnictide, and a rare earth silicide (RESi).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: IQE plc
    Inventors: Rodney Pelzel, Rytis Dargis, Andrew Clark, Howard Williams, Patrick Chin, Michael Lebby
  • Publication number: 20190028081
    Abstract: Layer structures for RF filters can be fabricated using rare earth oxides and epitaxial aluminum nitride, and methods for growing the layer structures. A layer structure can include an epitaxial crystalline rare earth oxide (REO) layer over a substrate, a first epitaxial electrode layer over the crystalline REO layer, and an epitaxial piezoelectric layer over the first epitaxial electrode layer. The layer structure can further include a second electrode layer over the epitaxial piezoelectric layer. The first electrode layer can include an epitaxial metal. The epitaxial metal can be single-crystal. The first electrode layer can include one or more of a rare earth pnictide, and a rare earth silicide (RESi).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Rodney Pelzel, Rytis Dargis, Andrew Clark, Howard Williams, Patrick Chin, Michael Lebby